Right to Assessment for visual problems?

Do you live in California? That’s the only state in which schools sometimes provide developmental optometry, at least as far as I know. Where we are, developmental optometry is highly controversial even in the private sector, and developmental vision evaluations are not provided by the school system. So, you would probably need to check your state’s special ed laws, or call whatever state agency oversees testing and assessment.Try going to the “Finding Help” section of this website, clicking on state info, and clicking on your state. You will find a list of agencies in your state, and one of them may be able to provide the information you are looking for.Medical insurance often covers part or all of a developmental vision exam, so that is another route you may want to consider.Mary: If my child has suspected visual problems, what is the legality of
: requesting a visual assessment by a qualified Developmental
: Optomitrist?Please refer me to the appropriate place in the law
: that this is mentioned; if you happen to know. The school district
: is saying that the School Psychologist will determine if indeed
: this is necessary. Do I have the legal right to demand that they
: pay for this assessment by a Developmental Optomistrist even if
: the school psych. disagrees? Thank you for your help and insight.

I have an 8 year old girl with a visual processing disability. We have successfully challanged our school district for private therapy for our daughter. (We live in California). It was not easy. Our best ally was the Rescource Specialist in our daughter’s school noticed a difference in our daughter’s performance when the private therapy we were providing her stopped due to expense. She noted in our daughter’s IEP this observation which helped make it possible for the state to participate financially. Needless to say we had to hire an attorney and call a hearing. The state settled.Note: the state provided a screening for our daughter, but it was simply a vision test. It was NOT a visual processing exam. This is common, and allows to state to avoid the issue. Our daugher can see of course, but she does not process well the data she takes in. We argued in Due Process that the test was invalid. In the end, the comment from the Resourse Specialist was the deciding factor.: Do you live in California? That’s the only state in which schools
: sometimes provide developmental optometry, at least as far as I
: know. Where we are, developmental optometry is highly
: controversial even in the private sector, and developmental vision
: evaluations are not provided by the school system. So, you would
: probably need to check your state’s special ed laws, or call
: whatever state agency oversees testing and assessment.: Try going to the “Finding Help” section of this website,
: clicking on state info, and clicking on your state. You will find
: a list of agencies in your state, and one of them may be able to
: provide the information you are looking for.: Medical insurance often covers part or all of a developmental vision
: exam, so that is another route you may want to consider.: Mary

: We argued in Due Process that the test was invalid. In the
: end, the comment from the Resourse Specialist was the deciding
: factor.I hope the school district did not take this out on the Resource Specialist. I am also in CA and a teacher I know who recommends VT to parents because she has had success with her own children has been told that she is not to be making this recommendation to parents. It might be your case that is the reason. I’m glad you prevailed.Helen